Even though Wednesdays are typically the day of the week we all look forward to because it's "new comics day", we thought it'd be nice to reserve one Wednesday a month to look back on those issues, series, iconic runs and graphic novels that have cemented our undying devotion to graphic storytelling. After all, these are the stories that are the reason you plan your Wednesdays around the hours of your nearest comic shop.
In light of the immense success of Scott Snyder, Jock, and Francesco Francavilla’s Detective Comics (read the Detective Comics #871 review), we thought it was key to go back and reflect upon a series that was instrumental inspiration for Snyder’s take on Jim Gordon, Batman: Year One. The iconic four issue series by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, originally appearing in Batman #404 - 407, is one of the most highly regarded Batman stories in existence, despite its brutally simple premise: to tell the parallel stories of Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon’s first crime fighting experiences in Gotham, be it on the side of the law or simply above it.
Though Year One is prefaced by the term “Batman”, this is far from a solitary Batman story. In fact, I would argue that Miller’s true interest lies with Gordon. However, Year One does hold three main narratives: that of Bruce Wayne, that of Gordon, and to a lesser degree, Selina Kyle. The mastery of the story comes when the reader realizes that Miller is presenting three different sides to the same idea, the characters influenced by their varied life experiences. All three characters are taking the same approach to Gotham but taking different routes to get there. Bruce has taken on the Batman persona to strike fear into the criminal society of Gotham City and becomes an external influence on the suffocation of crime. Gordon is striking from inside, slowly taking down the corrupt cops that allow the criminals to fester in exchange for a payoff. And Selina, eventually taking the guise of Catwoman, is the selfish one of the lot, playing off of Batman’s celebrity in order to make life better for herself instead of the collective whole.
Miller’s approach to the story is what brought about its freshness and relevance. By opening the book with Gordon’s narration, the story sucks the reader in with a relatable protagonist that isn’t a billionaire, has superpowers, or counts cracking thug skulls amongst extracurricular activity. He’s got real problems and even bigger flaws. He’s a man alone, fighting corruption within the Gotham police force and legislature, struggling to maintain both his work and family lives, and as a result winds up cheating on his wife with a co-worker. Too often up to the point of Year One we had seen Gordon as a two dimensional character showing up to help out Batman every so often. In a post-Crisis on Infinite Earths DCU, Miller took advantage and completely overhauled the character as someone with his own history that stands on his own legs.
Bruce’s role in Year One is less surprising, and elements of the tale are directly related to even the current Bat-books (see Batman: The Return). What’s great about Year One is that Bruce Wayne is not the optimum man. He’s a 25 year old upstart vigilante struggling to find a way to avenge his parents. He’s spent all of these years training for something but still hasn’t figure out what it is. Over the course of the four issues, Bruce discovers his identity that would become so ingrained within him in the years to come. Miller also throws in bits of humor that Bruce would lose in later years. A particular favorite moment of mine is when Batman dishes out extra punishment to a corrupt cop that tries to shoot a cat in the midst of chaos. Not only is it a small reference to his eventual love affair with Selina Kyle, it’s a humorous little moment of release for Batman.
Year One reteamed Miller with one of his artists from his time on Marvel’s Daredevil, David Mazzucchelli. Though in time Mazzucchelli would become more recognizable for his work in alternative and indie comics like Asterios Polyp and strips appearing in Drawn & Quaterly, at the time he was an up-and-comer in the superhero genre. His work in Year One is the epitome of grit, which is helped along by the grim color tones of Richmond Lewis. Together, Mazzucchelli and Lewis create a Gotham City that is frightful and alive, reminiscent of a 1980s American city that has run rampant with crime, corruption, and drugs. Mazzucchelli mixes pulp noir comics with a realistic superhero style that has been echoed throughout the Batman universe ever since, be it in films, cartoons, or the comics themselves.
In keeping with that realistic style, Year One also neglects to introduce any real supervillains (aside from the mention of The Joker on the last page). This keeps Miller’s street-level grit in tact as Batman and Gordon tackle the original menace of Gotham City: organized crime. Miller introduces Carmine “The Roman” Falcone, the head member of a family that would play an important role in the Batman story for years to come. This, second only to using Gordon as an anchor character, is what makes Year One such a stellar gateway drug into the world of comics. Miller and Mazzucchelli avoid any of the goofy aspects inherent to a superhero comic and infuse it instead with the growling seriousness of a crime novel. This success at accessibility is what has allowed Year One to endure over twenty years of continuity changes, when every other post-Crisis reboot has since been changed.
Batman: Year One remains the single most influential Batman story of modern comic book storytelling. It’s from Year One that we’ve gotten things from The Long Halloween to Batman RIP. Though as these things do, neither Miller nor Mazzucchelli hardly touch a mainstream comic these days, Year One remains the singular work that will always be at the forefront of our minds as fans of superhero comics.
